Descripción general
Metastatic bladder cancer is cancer that starts in the bladder and spreads to other parts of the body. It is a type of stage 4 bladder cancer and often is described as an advanced bladder cancer.
Bladder cancer starts when cells in the bladder grow out of control. The cancer often starts on the inner lining of the bladder and may grow into the layers of the bladder wall. As the cancer becomes more advanced, it may grow through the bladder wall into nearby tissues or organs. Sometimes cancer cells break away and spread through the lymphatic system or enter the bloodstream. When bladder cancer spreads to distant parts of the body, it's called metastatic bladder cancer. It can spread to the lymph nodes, bones, brain, liver and lungs.
Some people have metastatic cancer when they're first diagnosed. More often, the cancer spreads after treatment for a previous bladder cancer. For many people, a diagnosis of metastatic cancer also is a recurrence of bladder cancer.
Treatment for metastatic bladder cancer usually starts with medicines, such as immunotherapy or chemotherapy. Treatments typically can't cure metastatic bladder cancer. But they may help slow the growth of the cancer and help with symptoms. Your healthcare team has many options to help you live as well as possible for as long as possible with advanced metastatic bladder cancer.
Síntomas
Metastatic bladder cancer signs and symptoms include:
- An area of swelling or a growth in the belly that you can feel through the skin.
- Pain in the back, pelvis or rectum.
- Fatigue.
- Loss of appetite.
- Swollen feet.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Weight loss without trying.
If your bladder cancer has spread when it's first diagnosed, you also may have symptoms of cancer in the bladder. These may include blood in the urine, urinating more than usual and pain when urinating.
Metastatic bladder cancer may cause other symptoms, depending on where it spreads.
- Cancer that spreads to the liver, called liver metastasis, may cause pain in the upper right part of the belly.
- Cancer that spreads to the bones, called bone metastasis, may cause bone pain.
- Cancer that spreads to the brain, called brain metastasis, may cause headaches and changes in thinking and memory.
When to seek care
Make an appointment with a healthcare professional if you have any symptoms that worry you. If you've been treated for bladder cancer in the past, tell the healthcare professional about your diagnosis and treatment.
Causas
It's not clear what causes metastatic bladder cancer. It happens when cancer cells in the bladder break away from the area where they formed. The cancer cells may spread through the lymphatic system or enter the bloodstream. This lets the cells travel to other parts of the body.
Bladder cancer can spread to the:
- Bones.
- Brain.
- Liver.
- Lungs.
- Lymph nodes.
Factores de riesgo
Factors that raise the risk of bladder cancer also may raise the risk of metastatic bladder cancer. These risk factors include:
- Smoking. Smoking can raise the risk of bladder cancer by causing harmful chemicals to build up in the urine. These harmful chemicals may damage the lining of the bladder, raising the risk of cancer.
- Increasing age. Bladder cancer can happen at any age, but it is more common in older adults.
- Being male. Men are more likely than women to get bladder cancer.
- Exposure to certain chemicals. Being around some types of chemicals often may raise the risk of bladder cancer. Those chemicals include arsenic and chemicals used to make dyes, rubber, leather, textiles and paint products.
- Certain cancer treatments. Treatment for cancer with the medicine cyclophosphamide raises the risk of bladder cancer. People who have had radiation treatments aimed at the pelvis also have a higher risk of bladder cancer.
- Bladder inflammation. Bladder inflammation, called cystitis, or a urinary tract infection that lasts or that keeps coming back may raise the risk of squamous cell bladder cancer. That could happen with long-term use of a urinary catheter. In some areas of the world, squamous cell carcinoma is linked to long-lasting bladder inflammation caused by a parasitic infection called schistosomiasis.
- Personal or family history of cancer. If you've had bladder cancer before, you're more likely to get it again. If a blood relative, such as a parent, sibling or child, has had bladder cancer, you might have a higher risk of the disease too.
Sept. 11, 2026